Toward Truer Representation Of The 4th District Constituency: Iraq
Here you will find how people within the NC, 4th Congressional District feel about "How Will We Get Out Of Iraq". Specifically, this page is about getting congressional representation that most reflects 4th district constituent's demands with respect to Iraq. The comprehensiveness of the information found in this wiki is a function of the input that visitors make. Like most wikies, THIS IS YOUR WIKI, DO NOT HESITATE TO EDIT AND/OR CONTRIBUTE. =Price's Stand= Representative Price has moved his position on getting out of Iraq closer to that of his constituents. After objecting to H.R. 55 because he has an issue with the clause that states: "Establishing a plan for the withdrawal of all United States Armed Forces from Iraq limited only by steps to ensure the safety of such armed Forces", he introduced his own, watered down, resolution H.J. 70 . Differences between the two bills are: * H.R. 55 is explicit in implementation of the plan submitted to congress. Submission of the plan is to be done by December 31, 2005 and the initiation of the actual withdrawal to be done no later than October 1, 2006 no later than October 1, 2006. * Whereas, H.J. 70 only asks for a plan to include some required actions. There are no requirements for implementation or submission of the plan itself. H.J. 70: Strengths and weaknesses Price Timeline = Constituency Stand= =Ongoing Actions= Legislation/Resolutions * H.R. 55 * H.J. 70 * H J Res 73 * McGovern resolution Petitions * Price Petition for voting against military appropriations contingent on continued presence in Iraq. The password is "*****." Web Page Developments David Price Watch A web page for pressuring David Price and making him accountable to constituents. Op-ed * Heide's Op-ed Articles * Odum article * Libby Indictment May Open Door to Broader Iraq War Deceptions by Stephen Zunes Indeed, even prior to the return of United Nations inspectors in December 2002 and the U.S. invasion of Iraq four months later, it is hard to understand how anyone could have taken seriously the administration's claims that Iraq was somehow a grave national security threat to the United States. And, despite assertions by administration apologists that "everybody" thought Saddam Hussein possessed chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and an advanced nuclear program immediately prior to the March 2003 invasion, the record shows that such claims were strongly contested, even within the U.S. government. =Possible Actions= Push NC Congressmen to join the "Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus". The 'Out of Iraq' Congressional Caucus was founded in June 2005 to pressure the Administration to end the war in Iraq. It has 69 members. While there has been some confusion about this group, during a recent meeting Price described this "caucus" as the supporters of a single bill, HR 55 (which Price does not support), while the more general "Iraq Working Group" is a group of House members who meet to discuss and strategize around the Iraq issue, meeting which Rep. Price regularly attends. Discharge Petition What: Announce a discharge petition strategy on H.R. 55 When: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at 9:30 AM A discharge petition is a House rule that permits members to bring to the floor for consideration a measure not reported from committee if 218 members sign the petition. H.R. 55 calls on the President to begin bringing US troops home from Iraq no later than October 1, 2006. Forums The Forums have been a success is letting Price now about the dissatisfaction that his constituents have with his weak stand on the issue of Iraq. More forums in other counties within the 4th Congressional District (Chatham, Wake, and Durham) are needed that: * Highlight discrepancies between Price's stand and that of his constituency. * Allow 4th District constituency to get facts that are independent from the national mainstream media. The national mainstream media effectively homogenizes discourse to a national average. Alternative Candidates An alternative candidate would hold Price accountable to his constituency as a representative democracy allows. =Dates to be aware of= These are dates that are important in planning toward getting out of Iraq. House Budget Committee * Budget Resolution: establishes overall ceiling for spending for the Pentagon and other agencies (Senate and House Budget Committees). * Defense Authorization Bill: establishes program-by-program ceilings (Senate and House Armed Services Committee). * Defense Appropriations Bill: provides funding to pay for programs (Senate and House Defense Appropriations Subcommittees). * Supplemental Appropriations Bill: funding requested outside the normal authorization and appropriations process (Senate and House Defense Appropriations Subcommittees). * Continuing Resolution: A bill to provide temporary funding early in a fiscal year when Congress has not completed funding on appropriations bills. Other Dates * OCDP County Convention The Orange County Democratic Party votes on resolutions that have been developed by the precincts. =Related 4th District Web Pages= Downing Street Memo Downing Street Action NC We are currently circulating a petition(www.petitiononline.com/dsmnc/petition.html for investigation of the Downing Street memos as evidence for impeaching Bush (also available at Internationalist Books and the weekly peace vigils in Chapel Hill and at the Durham Food Coop).